Shortly after the Detroit Lions selected Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley with the 13th overall pick, head coach Jim Schwartz said this on Twitter:
We did a lot of mock scenarios and Fairley falling to us was one of our ideals, though we thought it unlikely.
The Lions stayed true to picking their best player available. They had Fairley rated highly, and the 2011 NFL Draft worked out so that he was there for the taking when the Lions went on the clock. Defensive tackle wasn't exactly a need or anything, but it is now an enormous strength with Fairley being added into the mix.
For more coverage of the 2011 NFL Draft (i.e. NFL mock drafts, draft projections, scouting reports, the full NFL Draft schedule, etc.), check out Mocking The Draft, SB Nation's NFL Draft hub, SB Nation Detroit's NFL Draft StoryStream and Pride Of Detroit's 2011 NFL Draft archive.